Question for experienced Lao riders

I have aymaha 535 that I will never l het inyo Lao, no book. However I. f do have great pahntom 150, with a book. Are parts avialble the little guy in Lao if we take it there. Now we are talking a road bike, but I would assume thtthere are some routes we could use it to at least check it out when the cooler weather comes again, wouldn't want o try it in rainey season.

The phantom is ok. I even think that you can find some parts in the bigger cities or they will order to you from Thailand in 24 h. Then about driving in rain and why not dark. I do not know how many times I promised not to drive in the rain or in the dark and there you end up doing it. It is not always up to you but you may stop for the rain and it just continue....If you dont like to stay overnight in the bush you have to drive in rain and dark HIKO

Act ually I was thinking more of the road conditions on unpaved roads during the rainey season, phantom handles wet asphalt roads just fine. I really don't like driving at night on roads I don't especially on the Phantom terrrible head lights even when you add the small extra ones on. I've done it but I don't like it. One trip from Khan Kean to Udon at night I found a pickup running about the same speed I wanted to travle and used the pickups headlights to see further down the road. LOL

Do not go out on unpaved roads with the phantom. The red stuff will fill up your tires and then it is like ice racing and that is fun but not on a phantom. My remarks about driving in the wet or in the dark were more general, there is many time occasions that you can not plan and there you are left in the dark and wet driving.....If the generator stand an extra light that must be good and you already know that catching up a car driving suitabble speed is the easiest and safiest way to get back home in the dark.hiko

I have aymaha 535 that I will never l het inyo Lao, no book. However I. f do have great pahntom 150, with a book. Are parts avialble the little guy in Lao if we take it there. Now we are talking a road bike, but I would assume thtthere are some routes we could use it to at least check it out when the cooler weather comes again, wouldn't want o try it in rainey season.

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Ray
Highway 13 that runs through Laos North to South, from the China border to the Cambodian border, is asphalt all the way. You could take a sport bike on it, so it should be no trouble on your Phantom.
Unfortunately in Laos, there are not many loops to do, unless your an of-road rider. So you basically do R13. Options in the North are a run out to
1. Phonsavan & Xam Neua
2. Oudom Xai Pak Beng, & maybe put your bike on a boat to go out to Houei Xai / Chiang Khong, or back down to Luang Prabang.
3. Phongsali from Oudom Xai & asphalt / "easy" steep winding dirt
Then in the south go out to
1. The Vietnam border from Savannakhet.
2. Attapeu asphalt / dirt, do-able on Phantom (back depending.)
3. Pakxe / Bolavens Plateau / Don Khong island.

From Vientiane do a loop that goes out to Thalat & the Nam Ngum dam, then over to Vang Vieng & back down R13 to Vte.

you know my sidecar carriage, I´m craving to go to Laos when the next wet season is over.
Would you design a trip for me along the lines of above?
To be with a group is safer and may be more fun, thought of even using a tour operator.
But again because of the sidecar my driving style is probably not much fun for others, e.i. I am ( with Sao) a lone rider. And I miss the group compromises.

I have just completed over 800 kms on a clapped out chinese copy of a Honda Wave. It even has Wave 125 S stickers on it but I think the bike is more like 100/110 as i own a 125 in Phuket, have had it for 6 years so know how a 125 goes.

Elle (who you met) and I have just done Vientiene all the way to lang prabang and back, 2 up, and we just pulled back into L P midday today.

Whilst riding we have seen a couple of Phantoms. The roads are not a problem, sealed all the way, as spares i would say bring spare tubes and perhaps throttle/clutch cable. We had 2 punctures on the way up, but luckily all okay on the return trip.

I am thinking of coming back later on my Phantom, and would even think of doing part of the trip by boat on the mekong.

The scenery unbelievable, will post a report later whenwe get back into Thailand, and here in Vientiene, 20kms rom theborder, DTAC/AIS phones work perfect, and i waseven able to buy pre paid DTAC phone card. (Mind youjust looking over river and there is Thailand)

More later on report, but get over here withyour Phantom Ray, its great

you know my sidecar carriage, I´m craving to go to Laos when the next wet season is over.
Would you design a trip for me along the lines of above?
To be with a group is safer and may be more fun, thought of even using a tour operator.
But again because of the sidecar my driving style is probably not much fun for others, e.i. I am ( with Sao) a lone rider. And I miss the group compromises.

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Pico
No trouble to suggest a route. Just use the tips I gave Ray.
I also think no danger / problems to go alone on R13, there is enough traffic & it is not that dangerous. So for me, just go, don't hang back.
but why not join up with Ray & do a shake down run to Vang Vieng & back from Vte, before the wet sets in. Vte - VV is basically flat to hilly, NOT mountainous. The mountains start after VV.
In high season no trouble to meet up with other bikers riding R13, or probably even members of this board......how bout a GT Rider run to VV or even LPQ & back??